Railway-crossing



No. 620,758. Patented Mar. 7, 1899.

R. H. ELLIOTT.

RAILWAY CROSSING.

(Ap N 8.) (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

FIE- 5. :FIE- E- J) 2 fl N ,B

UNiTnD- STATES PATENT OFFICE;

ROBERT H. ELLIOTT, OF BIRMINGHAM ALABAMA.

sPEcIFI'oATIoN forming part of Letters Patent No. 620,758, dated March '7, isee.

Application filed November 21, 1898.

T0 aZZ whom/ it hwny concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT H. ELL1oTT,a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefierson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Crossings; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to railroad-crossings, and especially to those which are adapted to be automatically operated by the Wheels of moving cars or trains.

In railroad-crossings of the ordinary type there are at the point where the rails interseot spaces provided of sufiicient width to allow the fianges of .the Wheels to pass. The result is that there is a sudden jolt Whenever the wheels reach this point, which is highly injurious not only to the rails, but also to the Wheels themselves.

The object of my invention is to substantially prevent this and to provide an automatically-operated orossng which will always be opened in one 'direction and which will be operated by the Wheels of the train.

With this object in view my invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top View with a part broken away of my improved railroad-crossing. Fig. 2 is a crosssection of the same on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a cross-section of the same, taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the four movable rails which are provided in this crossing. Fig. 5 is a detail cross-section of the fixed and movable rail, showing a casing above the latter to prevent dust and dirt from entering and impeding the movement of the movable rail. Fig. 6 is a similar cross-section showing a different form of crossing. Figs. 7, 8, 9, 11, and 12 are detail views showing different means for causing one set of movable rails to actuate the other set. Fig. 10 is a top plan view showing still another modifica-tion of these means,

A represents one pair of fixed rails, and A' the other pair, these being shown at right an- Serial No. 697,051. (No model.)

gles to each other, although it is obvious that they might cross at any desiredangle.

B and B' represent the pairs of movable rails, respectively, which are so arranged in movable rails, as shown in Fig. 4., is o ut away i and provided with two rounded parts b, which serve as pivots, on which the rail partially rotates. Each one of these rails is also provided with beveled portions b' and other beveled portions 292, With which the Wheels of the car engage to throw the movable rail out of contact With the adjacent fixed rail. The rounded parts Z) are journaled in bearings 123, supported in any suitable way, usually by means of large sleepers extending underneath the fixed and movable rails.

Rigidly connected to each of the rails B are arms b4, and as the movable rails B are thrown away from the fixed rails, as shown, for instance, in Fig. 3, by the passage of the car- Wheels these arms are of course thrown down and operate to throw the rails B' into contact with the rails A'. This is done in the following manner: Four brackets O are placed one in each interior corner of the crossing, and a pivot c in each one of these brackets supports a movable arm c'. These arms are connected at one end with the arms 114 bymeans of the pin 55, fixed to the arm b4 and working in an enlarged slot c0 in the arm c'. The outer end of each of the arms c' engages a roller 0-2, v

mounted in an arm 03, which is attached to the rail B'. The partial revolution of the movable rail B throws down the arm 64. This motion throws down one end of the arm c', and consequently throws the other end of the arm c' upwardly. This through the medium of the roller C2 causes the arm 03 to press against the movable rail B', throwing it over against the fixed rail A'. The operation at each of the four corners of the structure is identical.

Referring to Fig. 1, it is obvious that When the car-Wheels strike the fianges 62 they will throw these flanges away from the fixed rail A, the rails B partially rotating upon their pivots b. This action makes a clear track ICO along the rails A and through the medium of the connections already described throws the rails B' against the rails A'. This practically makes a continuous track along the rails A, as the fianges of the rails B' bridge over the spaces cut in the rails A, the outer part of the Wheels as they pass over this cut-away portion being supported by the fianges b2 of the rails B'. This operation is reversed when the rails B' are moved inwardly by the car-Wheels.

A casing D may be placed over the entire interior of the crossing, as shown in Fig., 1. This casing, however, may, if desired, extend only a short way over each movable rail, as shown by D' in Fig. 5. Said casing may also be curved, if desired, as shown at D2 in Fig. 6.

The other figures show inodifications of the means whereby the movement of the rail B causes the movement of the rails B', and Vice versa, so that one pair will be open while theother pair is closed.

In Fig. 7 a bar E is shown connecting the rails B and B', which bar is mounted in pivots e, attached to brackets e', which are fastened, respectively, to the rails B and B'. A spring 82, surrounding the bar E, transmits the m0- tion of one set of rails to the other set.

In Fig. 8 a rigid bar F is shown provided with rounded headsfijournaled in cup-shaped bearings f', attached to the rails B and B'.

In Fig. 9 a strong spring G is shown supported by a pivot g, which spring transmits the motion of one set of rails to the other.

In Fig. 10 a disk H is mountedin the center of the crossing upon a pivot 72'. This disk has four arms pivoted to it-h', 712, 713, and h. The arms h' and ha are connected to the rails B, re-

` spectively, and the arms h and h4 are connected tothe rails B', respectively. Each of these arms is provided with an enlargement 7L5 and a spring h, bearing against such enlargement and a bracket upon one of the movable rails.

In Fig. 11 a bar I is supported on a pivot 'i at each corner of the crossing. Each end of the bar I is provided with a slot in which is supported a spring iz. Outside of each spring is a sliding bearing 713, carrying a roller 114, whereby the movement of one pair of rails will be transmitted to the other pair.

In Fig. 12 a bent lever K is journaled on a pivot 7a at each corner of the crossing. Through holes 7a' in this lever loosely pass rods kz, which at their outcr ends are movably connected to brackets R3 on the movable rails. Springs 784 are mounted on the rods k2 and serve through the medium of the leverK and the rods and brackets 73 R3 to transmit motion from one set of movable rails to the other.

It is obvious that many changes might be made in the form and arrangement shown without departing from the spirit of my invention, the main features of which are the movable rails arranged in connection with the fixed rails and adapted to be operated by the Wheels of a car or train, the arrangement being such that one track is always left clear, while the other is closed, and that the movement of one set of movable rails, caused by the passage of the train to open the track, Will at the same time move the other pair of movable rails to close the other track, thereby furnishing a substantially continuous track for the passage of the train.

I-Iaving thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails, sets of continuous movable rails adapted to be operated by the car-Wheels on the different tracks, and connectionsbetween the diiferents sets of movable rails, whereby the opening of one-set will cause the closing of the other set, substantially as described.

2. In a railroad-crossing, the combination' of fixed rails; sets of continuous pivoted mov- ,able rails arranged in pairs in proximity to said fixed rails and adapted to be operated by the car-Wheels; and connections between the two sets of movable rails, whereby the opening of one set Will cause the closing of the other set, substantially as described.

3. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails provided with cut-away portions for the passage of the car-Wheels, pivoted movable rails'arranged in pairs inproximity to said fixed rails and adapted to be operated by the car-Wheels, bearings supporting said Vmovable rails, and connections between the two sets of movable rails, whereby the opening of one set will cause the closing of the other set, substantially as described.

4. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails, pivoted movable rails' arranged in pairs and in proximity to the fixed rails, each of said pivoted rails being provided with fianges to engage the car-Wheels, and connections between the separate pairs of movable rails, Whereby the opening of one pair will operate to cause the closing of the other pair, and to furnish a substantially continuous track for the passage of the train, substantially as described.

5. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails provided with cut-away portions, movable rails arranged in pairs inproximity to said fixed rails and connected together, the arrangement being such that When one pair is open the other pair is closed, each of said movable rails being provided With rounded portions acting as an axle, bearings engaging said rounded portions, and each of said movrble rails being provided with tapering fianges adapted to be engaged by the car-Wheels, substantially as described.

6. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails provided with cut-away portions, partially revoluble movable rails arranged in pairs in proximity to said fixed rails, each of said movable rails being provided With rounded portions acting as axles and With tapering fianges to engage the car-Wheels, pivoted connections between the pairs of movable rails,

IIO

whereby the opening of one pair will cause the closingof the other pair, and a casing extending over said movable rails, substantially as described.

7. In a raiiroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails, partially revoluble movabie raiis arranged in pairs, bearings for said movabie raiis, said movable rails being also provided with fianges to engage the Wheels of the passing cars, and pivoted connections between the pairs of movable raiis, Whereby the opening of one pair Will cause the ciosing of the other pair, snbstantially as described.

8. In a i'ailroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails, partiaiiy revolnble Inovable rails, provided with fianges, arranged in pairs in proximity to said fixed rails, bearings supporting said movable rails and pivoted spring connections between the pairs of movable rails, Whereby the opening' of one pair will cause the closing of the other pair, substantially as described.

9. In a'raiiroachcrossing, the combination of fixed raiis, partialiy revoluble movable rails arranged in pairs in pi'oximity to said fixed rails, a dust-exclnding casing` and connections between the pairs of movable rails consisting of pivoted arms connected to one of each of the different pairs of rails, substantially as described.

10. In a railroad-crossing, the combination of fixed rails, niovable rails provided with flang'es to engage the car-Wheels, arranged in pairs in proxiinity to the fixed rails7 and connections between the raiis of different pairs Whereby' the opening of one pair will cause the closing of the other pair, said connections consisting of a bent lever, 'rods fiexibly connected to one of the rails of each pair respectively and passing loosely through holes in said bent lever, and springs located between said bent lever and one of the rails of each pair, substantially as descrbed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presen'ce of two witnesses.

ROBERT H. ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

V. G. RoBINsoN, W M. BOIKER. 

